settingIndex was once a small and close-knit community, but the town located on the western side of Washington state has grown in recent years beyond anyone's expectations. It is the ideal place for those who work in Seattle but can't afford the city's high real estate prices, and for others the natural beauty attracts them to the town. And Index truly is a beautiful place - surrounded by thick evergreen trees, tall mountains and glistening rivers and lakes. While weather is typically rainy with overcast skies even this does nothing to take away from the beauty of the town, and it is only highlighted further when the heavy snow graces the town and caps the mountains in winter. To many, Index would seem like a paradise. And yet lurking beneath this visual beauty there is more to this town than anyone might ever imagine...

rulesPLAYBYS: Sims from the games Sims 2, 3 and 4 are used to visually represent player’s original characters (no characters from within the franchise are allowed). But, you do not need these games to join and roleplay! If you wish, you can post a thread in our out of character / general forum and list as many physical details about your character as you wish. The members of Index will happily try and make a character for you, and you can choose which one you feel best fits your vision.

AVATARS: Avatars should display your characters face clearly and should be at least 200 pixels tall, and 200 pixels wide.

THREADING & POSTING: When threading with multiple characters, it is important that you post only when it is your turn. This can be acheived by taking note of who has posted before you, and remember you are to always post after them. If you were the thread starter, then it is your turn after the final person has joined your thread.

When creating a thread you are required to place a tag before the title. Here are a list of types of thread you can create and how to tag each one:

[Open] Anyone is welcome to join your thread, with no limit on the number of characters.[Open - #] Anyone is welcome to join your thread, but there is a limit on the number of characters who can join. Replace the # with how many extra characters you will allow to join your thread.[Private] Only specific characters can join your thread.[Closed] This tag should be used for threads that only involve your character.

ACTIVITY: To keep threads moving, people are encouraged to post within three days when it is their turn. If you do not post within three days, and you have not asked people to wait for you, it is possible you will be skipped. Keep in mind this is just a suggestion. While we'd love for everyone to be active every day, we understand that real life and other hobbies are just as important, if not more. We want you to be active because you want to be, not because a rule is telling you to be.

MATURITY RATING: Public threads should all be PG. If roleplayers above the age of 18 wish to post content that could be could be considered graphic then it should be hidden from view using the [hide] [/hide] code, which will enable only those in the threads and administrators to view the content.

The first cut of this post is not by Gayle. It is a narrative of something that is happening sort of.. outside Gayle and Ursula’s knowledge.

The two ghosts stood behind the pair of archaic beings, speaking amongst themselves as the two vampires postured and bickered without saying a single unfriendly word. Seraphina stood, head cocked to the side, right arm gripping her left elbow, and the expression on her face was almost one of pity. Marisol, however, stood with her arms straight by her sides, her left knee bent and slightly forward. Her posture was straight as could be. Her eyes were almost as wide as her smile.

”You called it, Marisol, Noelle was perfect. Perfectly reckless.””At least you understood that I was the smart one.”

Sera’s arm dropped, and she walked around the front of the pair, frowning as she looked at Gayle. ”I’m so sorry about this, Feidlimid, you’ll understand, eventually, I swear.” Marisol scoffed and shook her head. ”I can only hope. Personally I wouldn’t mind that bitch seeing a little more karma before she goes down. If I could show myself to Sophia, that would have happened a long time ago.”

They’re certainly always entertaining. There wasn’t much more that I could say to that and continue being honest. I’d lost my taste for her company once I’d discovered her plans to attempt to bring Lilith into the picture, even if I might have a few questions for Lilith myself. Speaking with her? Absolutely. Wanting her roaming around with us? It was still beyond me exactly why that was what they wanted when there was no way to predict her motives. But it wasn’t only that. Her demeanor around me grew tacky, it grew old. The catty friend secretly looking for revenge? She cocked her missiles frequently forgetting just how impenetrable I was.

I didn’t count on that, Sophia, but I shouldn’t be surprised that you imagine yourself the only one who might find Trisk’s condition of some importance. I turned not only my head, but my entire body to face her. I know someone who wouldn’t be very happy with you if you had an option to keep her safe and comfortable, and you passed it up because of your stubborn obsession with the past. I narrowed my eyes, but widened my smile. I don’t ask for much, Sophia. I think you’ll find my requests reasonable.

Entertaining, it wasn't a rude way to describe it, but I personally felt they were far more than just entertaining. I maintained my composure, even when she made it very clear that her little party with Trist wasn't for my attention, but possibly for another. I wouldn't call myself self centered, but there was only one other in my family, other than myself of course, that I truly cared for. And tampering with the emotions of someones maker was never a wise decision. If war was what Caelia wanted, then war was what she'd get.

I wouldn't be so bold if I were you Caelia. Our past is ours, and ours alone. It's bad form to play with danger in the way that you are. But, your choices are your own. I won't stop you, but I'd be wary of the kind of consequences you'ree chasing. Their magnitude should not be underestimated. I only say this for your own safety, of course. I grinned a fanged grin as sweetly as I could and adjusted my top, dusting off my sleeve before turning my attention to that door. Just in time too, as someones progeny was just leaving with a new pet on her arm.

Oh Caelia you poor misguided thing. It's not the past that I live for, it is the future. And the kind of future I will bring our kind is the exact kind of future your men in lab coats couldn't even dream of achieving. Her rebellion had gone far beyond what I had ever imagined possible. Was Caelia so devoted to her cause that she had put up blinders on either side of her head? Her tunnel vision was exactly why she would never know success.

Please, go on. This time I turned my body towards her and stared her straight in her eyes, not before watching her progeny disappear to the side of the building to recklessly devour her human. What kind of requests could the queen herself have?

Why did I find it so amusing that Sophia had assumed this was all about her. Not surprising, but certainly amusing. Even someone as powerful as myself knew it was about the good of our kind. That was my main disaggreance with them. If our kind was to to be supreme, we needed to do it of our own accord, without relying on a crutch. The crutch being the witches and bitches. And I'm no fool, I knew they were getting even the dogs to do their dirty work. Using a warlock for this but if my sources were correct, Sophia's minions had the king mutt at least attempting to steal from the warlocks. It seemed breaking Odin's weak link just created another in its place. So I could keep killing them, or I could simply find another way to break these crutches.

"Oh, Sophia, I'm sorry to say I plan to reckon our past at a later time. Currently, my plate is full. Right now, you just happen to be my closest connection with... Them. You just happen to be the one who makes the deals regarding this. And I'm not afraid of an old man who has never managed to get rid of his... Compulsions."

I made no show, either way regarding my "men in labcoats". Although what I did was for the good of my kind, I wasn't quite ready to disclose my successes. Sure, there might be a certain stain on my reputation, but keeping Ursula under the guise of my supposed failures was something that worked to my advantage.

" I ask for two things. I wish to speak with her. And I'm more than certain you know who I am referring to."

Her interest in my Noelle confirmed my suspicion. Her presence here was no coincidence, and my Intel had not been wrong. "And on a more personal note, whatever she's done I might ask that she be forgiven. She reminds me much of you in your earlier years, Sophia. You of all should understand her motives."

I see it quite differently Caelia. And it is almost depressing that our views have to be so vastly different. We were so close once. I was not dodging at all. In fact, I meant every word, or at least made it sound as if I was being genuine. The truth was, she'd become a stubborn old hag about nearly everything. It didn't matter what I did, it didn't matter what the men upstairs did, it didn't even matter what she did, she would fight me and the men I worked for until she was blue in the face. It was just stubborn and juvenile. And frankly, I was getting tired of her games. She may play with her words, but she wouldn't play with me, because unfortunately for her, I had no conscience when it came to playing dirty.

Compulsions... Now, now, there's nothing wrong with a little constraint every now and then. I was growing bored. She had something of mine, and I wanted it back. She was not going to be the bully that stole the childs toy, because she wasn't stealing a lollipop from a baby, she was stealing from me. Then make your offers Caelia. My tone showed exactly how bored I'd become. In fact my entire statement was one long winded sigh.

I smiled, listening intently at her first request, and then her last. I must admit, this does not quite feel like a fair trade. My fanged grin only grew wider. You get to speak with her, oh and I will come back to that, because I am dying to know what you could possibly hope to gain from that, but also, you expect all crimes to be forgiven, a clean slate. Last I checked, you had one thing I desired, not two. Tsk tsk, how about we even the playing field? You get to have your little conversation, monitored of course, and your get your get out of jail free card. And in return, I get Trist, and you owe me a favor. My eyes lit up, absolutely giddy with the idea of the queen herself owing me something, and the freedom of cashing in whenever I desired.

Do we have a deal? I sweetly tucked my chin into my shoulder and stared at her from the corner of my eye, leaning in so I could hear every sound her lips and tongue made when she agreed, and she would agree, because she had too much to lose if she didn't.

The distance between us didn't begin on my end, Sophia. My remark came all too quickly. I'd never actually informed her that I'd had a plan of my own to save her when I'd... "thrown her under the bus" as they say. It was one of those silly things, maybe admitting this to her would have saved us. But that was somewhat of my strange gift for her, letting her keep that part of her. Like maybe the fact that she'd dug herself out was her moment of triumph, her moment of strength. Of course, I was assuming these things, but if I was right, I'd rather her have her self worth and be forever my enemy. It might be difficult to believe, but I'd always care about her well being. There were many times I had wished and had felt like she was my own. She had her flaws, and I had mine, and currently I found it very easy to be wrapped up in our little... contest. And there were times when I felt as if... she may need to be reckoned with if I wanted to preserve my own safety. I didn't fear her, but I simply knew that she was persistent. Admittedly, I might have deserved it, but that's not the point.

Even I knew very little about Ursula's maker, but that alone made me dislike even the idea. The idea of being so.. reclusive and "mysterious" felt simply cowardly to me. It was unambitious and cowardly. I liked for at least most of my cards to be out on the table, with a wildcard in my pocket. And trust me, I had a few wildcards. I'd learned that even Noelle herself was one of them. She was to my benefit, even if she seemed to get herself in trouble in doing so. I wanted both her and Benjamin with me. I knew Noelle wanted to help me, and she could help me more if we all were a little more.... unified. I knew it would happen, and it would happen quicker if I could have Benjamin for her to come home to.

Not fair? I don't see these requests as being difficult at all for you to grant. I watched Noelle, feeding, knowing that she knew I was here. I knew why she was avoiding me, as well, and it didn't offend me. But if only she would let me be involved, if she would tell me these things. It was likely my own fault, and I had lead by a terrible example. She seemed appreciative that I had let her learn so many things on her own, but that had not been my plan. But the object.. or person... I had been seeking for years had come available, I knew it was a small window I had, and instead of being a mentor to my Noelle, I chased after a clouded dream. I told myself that it was for our future. I told myself it would be worth it in the end, but it had not worked out as planned.

I retrieved my phone, and while it wasn't incredibly apparent that I was listening to Sophia's terms, I was. But I grinned at my beautiful child and began typing the message.

Noelle

Dinner tomorrow, love? I'm so proud of my beautiful creature.

I hit the send and finally spoke. Unmonitored and it's a deal. Keep in mind, Trist has been kept very comfortable. Wolf once a week, even. I put away the phone and looked around me, feeling an odd chill about me, but it left as soon as it had made itself known to me. She has a lot to lose.